Cassell's dictionary of cookery

with salt and cayenne, and bind it together with beaten yolk of egg. Truss the pigeons as if for roasting, and lard their breasts delicately with very slender lardoons. Line the bottom of a braising-pan with slices of fat bacon. Place a thin layer of veal on this, and then the pigeons, breast to breast. Put another layer of veal and of bacon over the pigeons, pour upon them a pint of good stock, and add any bones or trimmings of meat or poultry that may be at hand, together with a blade of mace, a bunch of parsley, a sprig of thyme, a glass of sherry, and a little pepper and salt. Cover the saucepan closely, and let the birds stew gently for an hour. Lift out the pigeons, strain and skim the gravy, and boil it down quickly until it is much reduced. Put in the pigeons once more, and baste them liberally until they are sufficiently glazed. Serve on a hot dish, with the sauce poured round them. Probable cost, 5s. Sufficient for five or six persons. Pigeons, Fricasseed, Brown.— Take three plump young pigeons; cut them into quarters, and season with a little pepper, salt, and powdered mace. Put them into a stewpan, with three ounces of clarified butter, and turn them about until they are brightly browned all over. Take them up, drain them well, and put them into a clean saucepan with half a pint of nicely-seasoned stock and a glass of claret. Add a bunch of parsley, a small sprig of thyme, three inches of thin lemon-rind, five or six smaU onions, a little pepper and salt, and a few grains of cayenne. Cover the saucepan closely, and let the pigeons stew gently for half an hour ; then put with them an ounce of butter rolled in flour, six or eight small mushrooms, and a table-spoonful of lemon-juice. Stew for a quarter of an hour longer, then dish the birds : skim the gravy, and pour it over them. This dish may be varied in several ways. A few veal forcemeat-balls may be boiled in the gravj', or a dozen oysters may be fried and laid over the bird, and the dish may be garnished with sliced lemon, toasted sippets, or strips of curled bacon. Probable cost, 3s., exclusive of the wine and garnishes. Sufficient for three or four persons. Pigeons, Fried.— Pluck, singe, and draw two yoimg pigeons, and truss them as if for boiling. Spread a little clarified butter over them, and dredge them well with flour. Lay two or three rashers of bacon in a stewpan, place the pigeons upon these, season with salt and pepper, and turn them about until they are nicely browned all over. Add half a cupful of water, and steam them until done enough. Take them up, drain them well, dip them into some frying batterr, and let them be entirely covered with it. Fry in hot fat until they are brightly browned, and serve on a hot dish. Garnish the dish with parsley, and send the gravy to table in a tureen. The frying batter may be made as follows : — Make five ounces of dried flour into a paste by stirring into it half a pint of water. Mix two tablespoonfuls of oil smoothly with the well-beaten yolks of two eggs, and add a pinch of salt ; mix these ingredients with the flour and water. The batter ought to be rather thicker than PIG ( 562 ) PIG